The Pancyprian Association of Psychologists (PA.SY.Psy), in an open letter to the Minister of Health and the Health Committee of the Parliament, states that the specialty of Counselling Psychologist, which is a regulated specialty, which is conferred by law of the Republic of Cyprus to its holders, needs to be immediately included in the General Health Care System.
The letter states, inter alia, that it is with regret that we have recently been following the refusal of the Health Insurance Organisation (HIO) to include the specialty of Counselling Psychology in the General Health Plan, despite the agreement to the contrary with the professional associations that after one year from the inclusion of the specialty of clinical psychology, the consultation for the inclusion of the specialty of counselling psychology would begin.
It is added that the inclusion of the specialty of counselling psychology and the approval of a separate budget for this specialty would have multiple benefits in the long term, as it would enhance the system's capacity to address the multiple problems arising from poor mental health in the population.
The OAS philosophy on mental health issues is not identical to the biopsychosocial model of understanding mental health. As a result of this, mental health services are psychiatricised and as a result it becomes impossible to provide psychological services to people with mild depression, people with anxiety disorders, cancer patients, rheumatism patients, kidney patients, children and adults with psychosocial problems and many other people with chronic and serious physical illnesses or psychosocial problems, it adds.
It is also stated that in this way there are "two-speed" patients, as the only way for a person to receive psychological services of a counselling psychologist is to go to the private sector at their own expense, which is contrary to the philosophy of the General Health Plan.
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